NFTC Annually Saves $6.5-Million

The NATO Flying Training in Canada program will save the government $130 million during its projected 20-year life span, according to Col. Ian Milani, NFTC project director. The savings are achieved by having an additional, post-graduate fighter lead-in training phase conducted in BAe Hawk 115 advanced trainers flown by the NFTC wing rather than conducting such tactical training tasks in operational training units that fly the CF-18A/B fleet. It takes $1.6 million to train each NFTC student, according to Canadian officials.

"It's significantly cheaper in the long run," Milani said. "When post-graduate pilots reach the OTU, it now takes half the hops [to transition]," he explained.

NFTC, created in the mid-1990s, first became operational in mid-2000 at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. As the name implies, NATO members Denmark, UK and Italy also use NFTC. Outsiders, such as Singapore, utilize NFTC, but they need prior permission from NATO to do so.

Students first enter basic training flying the Raytheon CT-156 Harvard III. After completion, they transfer to the Hawk 115 for advanced training leading to earning their wings. Postgraduate NFTC training, which began in January this year, is conducted at 4 Wing at Cold Lake, Alberta, thereby allowing them to take advantage of nearby ECM ranges and to learn from experienced fighter pilots.

Computer based classroom-lead and self-paced training, along with high fidelity visual trainers, accelerates student learning. For example, basic training students learning how to fly a Cuban Eight are shown computer-animated videos of the proper technique, thereby reducing flight time. Advanced students learn how to trade between altitude and airspeed in the classic "yo-yo" maneuver using the same computer tools.